Jonah 2 vs 1-10 & 3 vs 1-10
Chapter 2 Verse 1
•Why did it take Jonah three days and three nights to call out to God? Some would say he’s stubborn. Maybe. Or could it be that Jonah was so defeated that he thought it even futile to pray? That he was too far gone? I mean that was a big storm, a raging storm…God must be really disappointed in me…No! You can’t shock God! He already knew what Jonah was going to do yet he chose him anyway. The person that was caught in disappointment wasn’t God, it was Jonah!
•The truth is that you are never too far gone…no matter what you’ve done or how you’ve lived…God has made Himself quite accessible to us. Colossians 2 tells us that the hand writing of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, He has taken out of the way, having nailed it to the cross…having disarmed evil, He made them a public spectacle, triumphing over them! So no He’s not far off, He’s not tired of dealing with your issues…it’s the other way around. He is ready to save, He is slow to anger and rich in grace and mercy. But sometimes we feel that we are such a mess, not even God can help us. That is a lie. Notice here, God’s gonna hear him.
Chapter 2 Verses 2 – 10
•So Jonah cries out to God and God answers him. That is always the pattern because God is faithful. The answer may not always be what you expected…I mean he gets barfed…but it will be what you need…and an answer it is.
•Typically it never fails that when Madison is thirsty she asks for chocolate milk and especially when its bedtime…she always wants to take chocolate milk or “water-juice” to bed with her. But you know what she takes? Water. Why? Because I don’t want the acids in the milk and the sugars in the chocolate to eat away at her teeth and gums all night while she sleeps…especially after she has brushed her teeth. That would be bad for her. So I hear her, I answer her, and I provide what is good for her…clean water. Just like that we pray so often for such crazy things and then we doubt God’s ear when they don’t arrive…but God is good. And He always answers. And here’s how…John 16:24.
•Now Jonah’s whole prayer is somewhat scattered throughout the Book of Psalms. So Jonah not only had a good knowledge of God’s Word but also notice, when He was in hell as it were, his situation horrible, He finds great refuge where? In the Word! What does this world have to offer for refuge? Drugs? Sex? Power? Money, cash, cars, diamond rings? Man those are all powerless and dead…because they don’t last, and frankly they don’t help! They add to the complexity…to the convoltion! God’s Word abides forever and is a fortress for the faithful! Also it’s just a good pattern to pray God’s Word…you can’t go wrong!
•What else is cool here is that while Jonah sat in self defeat for days, out of the game, seemingly useless…the whale was swimming. That ship had taken Jonah out to sea and Jonah was tossed into the deep but here this great fish was appointed by God to seemingly end Jonah…but all the while…just swimming along…taking Jonah right back to where he needs to be. Dry land. That’s why I always say, and that’s why the Bible says in Galatians 6 and 2 Corinthians 4…don’t give up! Don’t write your life off or God off in your life…keep pressing, keep sowing to the Spirit and what does the Word say? You will be renewed in spirit! You will run and not grow weary! You will mount up on wings like eagles and you will surge with strength…but it takes faith! FAITH man! Belief in God’s faithfulness…that He will do what He has said! And He always has…and He always will!
•The capstone of his prayer…Salvation is of the Lord. What an important lesson for me to learn. Salvation is not of my own works. It’s not of my own efforts. What a glorious liberty and freedom it is to be released from a yo-yo Christian life and just simply rest my salvation in Him.
•Now leading up to this Jonah had said they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies. And while that is certainly applicable to people thinking that you can find fulfillment, happiness, satisfaction, power and even salvation apart from God…as they just make their lives hard and bring misery and disaster upon themselves…this is also applicable to those that look to their own religiosity as their means of righteousness. They forsake their mercies and they relate to God based on the law and in doing so walk in pride and never KNOW Him. To KNOW Him is to understand His grace and truly what He has done…everything…and all we’ve done is come to our senses…that’s it.
•So how do we know that we know? The Bible tells us and God even desires that we know that we know? Why? So that we can close the books on our own salvation and get into the battle for His yet lost children! So how do we know? Love! Love for God, the things of God…and love for His possession, others! When we lack love we are saying “the blood of Jesus was not enough. I need something more. I will not accept you based upon the price that was paid…the price just went up!” That shows that you do not KNOW Him! And so love man, that’s the key!
So Jonah gets barfed onto the beach and after he gets up and wipes the sea weed chunks off, he again hears from the Lord.
Chapter 3 Verses 1 - 10
•They were quite fast to believe and act! History tells us that Assyria was a highly spiritual and mysteriously superstitious nation. They actually believed and worshiped a half man half fish god who was spoken of often among their people. And so here comes Jonah…the fish man…no hair, skin all pale and scaly from being in digestive liquid for three days, smelling worse than a wharf…they freaked! Jonah surely wasn’t expecting this response.
•He probably didn’t even like the response. He hated them. But obeying God was better than being digested. At any rate his message was bleak. No call to repentance, just hey…you guys are done for! He probably liked saying that part…but was probably also equally as shocked that he wasn’t immediately slaughtered…instead the king even gets involved here. And the king is so full-on to repent that he even involves the animals so that the entire nation, including the animals, would cry out to God!
•And it’s interesting because one of the times Jesus mentions Jonah is when He is standing in front of the Jews in Matthew 12 and He says “The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment with this generation and they will condemn it.” Why? The men of Nineveh repented at the judgment of God. The Jews were educated by Jesus of the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy and goodness of God…yet they rejected God. And so Jesus calls them to witness against the hardness and complete irrationality of their hearts there in Jerusalem. And oh how often we preach of God’s love and mercy and grace but won’t it be sad for those that arrive at judgment and see what they now face and tremble with fear…eternal fear…fear that is without all hope (not roller coaster fear or surgery fear) utter hopelessness and loss. That is why we must also preach the justice of God! We must!
•And notice, it worked for Jonah, even though he didn’t want it to. And notice it says that God saw their repentance and He withdrew His judgment…here we have an example of our human limitation of language as Jonah speaks of God on man’s terms. That God would relent…now notice He doesn’t say repent. God had not purposed something evil but on the contrary, something entirely fair and just…however God is faithful and ever desiring to save and so the intersection of Man’s will and God’s sovereignty…if My people will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). So God does not change here, He does not change at all…He does not change His mind…we see that in Numbers 23:19…He simply honors His own word and therefore is 100% consistent and faithful in that He removes the disaster that He had said would come upon them!